ignorant bliss
by childoflightning
Summary: "CONFIRMED!" screams an obnoxious headline. "Sorry girls, but it looks like it's safe to say that teen heartthrob Adrien Agreste is officially off the market, and appears to have been for some time now. Pictured here, Adrien leaving the bakery and residence of the Dupain-Chengs, hand-in-hand with classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng." [Chronologically, comes before finally seeing you]
Marinette's the only thing in the world that can give Adrien the same feeling he gets when he's leaping between buildings in a mask. The freedom, the thrill, the butterflies.

All she has to do is come into class and smile at him shyly as she walks by. He smiles back. One of those buildings whooshes by in his mind.

Next to him, Nino is raising his eyebrows. Adrien ignores him and tries not to turn red when he hears Alya's whisper to Marinette from behind him: "Hey, so that's still going well, yeah?"

He pretends to be working hard on their assignment, but he strains his ears for Marinette's response. "Um, well, y-yeah. It really is."

 _Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh._

Chat can't wipe the idiotic grin off his face that evening, even as he fights a particularly nasty akuma. Ladybug is bewildered.

* * *

" _CONFIRMED_!" screams an obnoxious headline. "Sorry girls, but it looks like it's safe to say that teen heartthrob Adrien Agreste is officially off the market, and appears to have been for some time now. Pictured here, Adrien leaving the bakery and residence of the Dupain-Chengs, hand-in-hand with classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Alya finishes reading the page aloud. Marinette throws herself down on her chaise, screaming softly into a pillow. "When did they even take this picture?"

Alya rubs her friend's back sympathetically. "You did have an idea this would happen, girl."

"I know," Marinette says, raising her head and taking the magazine from her friend. Her nose crinkles as she thumbs through the pages. "At least it's not that bad a picture."

"No, it's not. It's cute," Alya says, smiling. "Look at Adrien. He's got the most sappy expression on his face."

Marinette groans, her face falling into her hands. "Oh, Adrien. He's going to feel bad about this."

Alya looks up from the photo. "When are he and Nino going to be here?"

"Any minute. Let's go downstairs."

"Hang on," Alya says, tearing the page from the magazine. "Let me tack this up on your wall first." She winks. "You can start building up your collection again."

Marinette sticks her tongue out at her. "Ha, ha. Let's go, already!"

* * *

Marinette feels like she's sleepwalking when she enters the classroom. _At least I'm not late today,_ she thinks, looking around sleepily. She falls into her seat and lays her head on her arms. _Has school always been this early? I think I forgot what it felt like to be on time..._

"Hey, I thought you might need this," Adrien says. Marinette's head snaps up, and she blinks blearily up at him. Students are filtering into the classroom gradually, and he's smiling at her in a way that makes her heartbeat quicken, even despite her grogginess.

"I wasn't sleeping," she says quickly, yawning. "I got a restful eight hours of sleep last night and I feel great…"

"Uh huh. You forget that you emailed me at one a.m." Adrien sets the to-go cup of coffee on her desk. She seizes it like it's a life-saving elixir.

"You're the greatest," she says fervently. "Sorry about the email."

"It's all right," he said. "It didn't wake me up or anything. I was just concerned. What were you doing up?"

 _Oh, nothing, just patrolling with Chat Noir. I have mentioned I'm secretly a superhero, haven't I_? "I was just...working on something," Marinette said, stifling another yawn. "It's, um, a baby outfit for a family friend. Didn't want to stop before I was done…"

"Do you ever think of yourself?" he teases. She laughs, her cheeks heating up slightly.

The bell rings and he sits in his assigned spot. Marinette smiles at the back of his head as class starts.

How lucky is she?

* * *

Ladybug's blood freezes when she spots him.

Adrien cornered, an akuma victim advancing on him. He's thrown up his arms to shield a young boy cowering behind him. His eyes are squeezed tightly shut. Bracing himself.

 _No._

She's there in a second, shouting for them to run, but there's nowhere.

She can't carry both of them. She'll just have to take two trips.

Ladybug scoops up the boy and casts her yo-yo. They swing over Paris while the child clutches her tightly.

"You left him!" he shouts over the wind. "That guy who saved me!"

Ladybug lands lightly on a rooftop. "Trust me," she says, setting him down. "I'm not about to let anything happen to that boy." She gives him a reassuring smile and throws her yo-yo.

Her heart is racing as she approaches Adrien again, and not just because she's flying straight toward an akuma. She's only been around him a few times out of costume. Will he recognize her? Does she want him to?

Adrien stands in the same place she left him, frozen as if he's facing a wild bear. The akuma is slowly turning back to him.

Ladybug lands and loops an arm around his waist. Adrien's caught off guard, but he clings to her tightly. His hair whips her cheek as they soar away. His heart's pounding.

Well, that's understandable, Ladybug reasons. She can't imagine Adrien has ever had reason to travel this high up in the air, swinging around like Tarzan.

Her concentration is jarred when Adrien says something under his breath.

"My girlfriend would not be thrilled about this," he mutters, softly enough that she probably wasn't supposed to hear.

Ladybug fights a smile and loses.

He's _so_ oblivious. And so cute.

She's safe.

* * *

Ladybug sets him down carefully and is gone as quickly as she appeared, throwing him a few words of advice over her shoulder.

"Stay hidden! Stay safe!"

He rubs the back of his neck with a wry smile. That makes one more time Ladybug has saved Chat Noir's butt - and this time she doesn't even know it.

And probably never will, he thinks, as he transforms and makes to follow her.

He catches sight of his class gathering in the street below. There's Alya, her phone out and recording. Nino, clinging to her arm. Chloe, Nathanael, Rose, Max…

Where's Marinette?

* * *

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cries, hurling her Lucky Charm into the sky. As the world heals itself, she looks over at Chat Noir, expecting to share a triumphant grin and a fist bump.

She's startled to see him still looking uneasy, agitated. His eyes scan their surroundings, following every change the magic pink light makes.

"Is everything okay, Chat?" she asks. He jumps at the sound of her voice.

"Yes! Yes, everything's fine…I just need to find someone." His Miraculous beeps. He starts backing up. "I'll see you around, Ladybug."

She watches him run off, concerned, before her own Miraculous beeps and she too flees the scene.

* * *

He finds her at the school, which is still mostly empty after the attack. She's walking to class, stowing a chocolate chip cookie in her purse.

"Mari!" Adrien calls. She turns around and smiles. She starts to say something -

He crushes her to him in a hug.

"Whoa!" she says, startled. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great," he says, voice muffled by her shoulder. "Really great. I just couldn't find you during the akuma attack - I thought maybe -"

"I was fine," she promises, rubbing his back. "Even if the akuma had gotten to me, you know, Ladybug would have fixed it."

"That's true," he says. He lets her go and steps back, rubbing his neck. "Sorry for freaking out on you."

She smiles and, instead of answering, pulls him down into a kiss.

He holds her, inhaling the smell of her coconut-scented hair, his worry evaporating.

What was he worried about? This is Marinette. Strong, unshakable Marinette who has never let herself be cowed by cruel classmates. Marinette who stood up to him when they met, Marinette whose sweet blue eyes are capable of burning with a low but dangerous fire. Can't she withstand anything?

They pull apart and she smiles, blushing slightly. Adrien's stomach swoops.

Marinette laces her fingers through his and swings their hands between them gently as they make their way to class. It's dorky and adorable, and he can't stop grinning like an idiot.

How lucky is he?

* * *

 **Notes:**

So "finally seeing you" was supposed to include the first half or so of this, and I cut it because it wasn't working. But I love pre-reveal adrienette way too much to keep this to myself, so here you all go.

I have a bunch of ml stuff in the works that will hopefully get posted soon, so, stay tuned! :)

Thanks for reading!

You can find me at peggiecarter on tumblr. :)


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